COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV/Gray News) – Parking disputes aren’t out of the normal, but the reaction from a Colorado business owner is gaining attention while sparking some controversy.
David Brown, the owner of Fallen Heroes Tattoo & Piercing, says the parking issues with a neighboring apartment complex started several months ago.
His business is located just east of Old Colorado City in Colorado Springs. Right next to Brown’s business is a five-story apartment complex.
The parking situation isn’t ideal for the new complex or Brown’s business, with just a small lot behind multiple businesses and a few street spots off Colorado Avenue.
There is an alley between the two buildings, but the parking spots right up against the west side of Fallen Heroes belong to the apartment complex and are permit parking only.
There are signs on the apartment complex’s side saying the lot is private parking with permits only. However, there aren’t any signs on the Fallen Heroes building.
Employees say they don’t want to hang signs over a pre-existing mural that advertises their shop.
Brown claims that over the course of about four months, 30 to 40 of his customers have had their vehicles towed.
Brown believes the apartment complex could do more to prevent vehicles from getting towed. And in response, Brown has added a massive mural to his roof that includes a painted male genitalia.
“The new apartment complex just opened up next door to the shop and they’ve been towing all of our customers’ vehicles. We tried to play fair, but now we’ll fight back with a d*** mural,” Brown shared.
Several residents of the apartment complex said they unfortunately can’t miss the mural.
“It is disturbing,” one resident explained. “I don’t have kids or anything, but even just me as an adult, I don’t want to look out my window and see that.”
Brown isn’t faulting the towing company involved and says he understands they have a job to do, but the situation has left many customers confused about where it’s OK to park.
“I can understand the confusion of people parking right next to the building,” he said. “The spots look like they are part of the building, and I can’t fault anybody that would accidentally park there.”
According to Colorado law, the towing company that represents the apartment complex is following the rules since the lot in question requires parking permits.
Representatives with the property management company for the apartment complex said they didn’t have much to comment about the parking situation, but they are working with code enforcement and the city to address the matter.
The Colorado Springs Police Department said the mural is not considered graffiti because the building’s owner approved it.
Brown said the parking issues could be solved if the apartment complex would clearly mark the permitted parking spots with paint.
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